11/06/2010-11/07/2010
Welcome to the first weekend of the 2010 Mountain Maryland Artists Studio Tour, which is coordinated by the Allegany Arts Council on behalf of the many talented visual artists in our area. From modest beginnings more than a decade ago, the annual Artists Studio Tour has evolved into a highly anticipated annual event that attracts art-lovers to Western Maryland from throughout the tri-state region. With 28 participating artists from across Mountain Maryland and nearby West Virginia, this year’s Tour promises to be another great event! To accommodate the growing number of visitors on the Tour, all of the studio locations will be open from 10AM-5PM over two weekends: Saturday and Sunday, November 6th & 7th and Saturday and Sunday, November 13th & 14th. Hopefully, you’ll have plenty of time to visit most, or all, of the studios on the Tour.

We think it's fair to say that the growth of the Mountain Maryland Artists Studio Tour is a reflection of the overall growth of the arts in our region. A convenient day-trip from Washington, Baltimore and Pittsburgh, more and more people are discovering the artistic energy and cultural richness that exists throughout Allegany County and the surrounding areas. And, thanks to the popularity of events like the annual Artists Studio Tour, a growing number of visitors are traveling to Western Maryland specifically to experience and enjoy the arts. As a result, the Arts & Entertainment Districts in Downtown Cumberland and Downtown Frostburg are flourishing, and Allegany County is gaining a well-deserved reputation as a vibrant, regional arts destination.

Below, you'll find a list of the artists who will be participating in this year's Mountain Maryland Artists Studio Tour (the highlighted artist names have a link to a page in our on-line Artist Registry):

Garrett County, Maryland
1) Julie Turrentine - fused glass
2) Caroline Blizzard - nature photography
3) Alan Arnson - woodworking
4) Sue Arnson - watercolors, monotypes, collages
5) Kenny Braitman - metal sculpture

Frostburg (Allegany County, Maryland)
6) Steve Sullivan - ceramics
7) Josh Brown - porcelain, stoneware
8) Lois McManus - metal jewelry

LaVale (Allegany County, Maryland)
9) Karin Blizzard - pressed flowers
10) Neal Blizzard - nature photography

Cresaptown (Allegany County, Maryland)
11) Jean Barnes Downs - monotypes, monoprints, artist books

Cumberland (Allegany County, Maryland)
12) Chris Nelson - paintings
13) Kathy Beaulieu - watercolor paintings
14) Jakkie Lease - watercolor paintings
15) Maria Mechem - watercolor paintings
16) Pam Silverman - watercolor paintings
17) Sherri Loomis - mosaics
18) Meg Romero - mixed media
19) Dave Romero - photography
20) Dennis Sherald - paintings
21) Merrill Smith - paintings
22) Terry Bachman - woodworking
23) Pat Hilton - paintings
24) John Shuman - photography

West Virginia
25) Jim DeGeorge - pottery
26) Linda Stewart - monoprints, paper sculpture, paper collage

Flintstone (Allegany County, Maryland)
27) Penny Knobel Besa - photography
28) Hilmar Gottesthal - paintings, sculpture, stained glass

If you’ve never been on the Mountain Maryland Artists Studio Tour before, we’re sure you’ll discover that this is truly a unique opportunity to visit with some of our area artists, to see them at work in their studios, and to engage them in conversation about their craft and their artistic motivations. From blacksmithing to jewelry, woodturning to photography, and ceramics to watercolors, there’s really something for everyone! And, with the holiday season just around the corner, the Mountain Maryland Artists Studio Tour is a great time to shop for hand-made gifts created by local artists. We appreciate your support and participation in this year’s event, and hope that you have a wonderful time enjoying the arts in and around Allegany County!

Guidebooks for the 2010 Studio Tour will be available sometime this fall. For questions about the Mountain Maryland Artists Studio Tour, please contact Emily Thomas at the Allegany Arts Council via e-mail at ethomas@allconet.org, or call 301-777-ARTS (2787).